Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation in 2013, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra – as with many more of the international stars it welcomed as guests over the years – forged a close relationship with Jean-Pierre Rampal, who passed away in 2000 and was one of the greatest flautists of the 20th century. The then 30-year-old “heir to the throne,” Emmanuel Pahud, was already ready to continue his predecessor’s noble tradition. Having joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 22, Pahud has since also played on several occasions with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. His 14-carat gold alloy instrument permits flexibility in his technique, producing a sound that is meltingly soft and captivatingly intimate. The informality and sincere warmth of Pahud’s flute play raises his art above his musical contemporaries, and this is what connects him to Rampal. “The instrument allows me to put what I think and feel into musical form. Although the instrument is important, the most important thing is the performer. The work must be completed before blowing into the instrument,” says Pahud of the secrets of the flautist’s craft. “Everything depends on how the player controls their muscles and their lungs, how they use the various cavities in their skull and upper body to produce the sound they imagine in their mind. Rampal played these notes as if they stretched into the infinite; they filled the space around him, and he was able to form miraculous phrases from these notes which it seemed would last forever.” Anyone yearning to savour the wonder of sound, the experience provided by speech without words – that is, great music – should not miss this concert! Presented by: Palace of Arts

Presented by: